🔗 Share this article

While numerous musicians have taken inspiration from fantasy lore, rarely any have fully embraced the enchanted lifestyle. Admittedly, they could adorn their record jackets with creatures, goblins, captive women and brawny barbarians, but has an artist ever been forced to retrieve a lost horn from a unicorn from a snowy field in the heart of winter? Did a performer devoted hours peering in the back of a traveling vehicle, mending their own chainmail?

Living the Fantasy

Established in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have had to face both these scenarios and more as they embody their heroic dreams. Starting with knightly, memorable tunes to breathtaking concerts, outfit creation, videos and cover artwork, they’re not so much a heavy metal group as a total artistic immersion.

“It wasn’t planned to be a outfit with characters,” says singer, guitarist, sword-carrier and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle drives from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing multiple performances in the UK now. “We played two shows and got booked on a Halloween gig, where I chose at the final moment to put on an outfit. Everything was super-DIY, but we had so much fun and the atmosphere was incredible. It occurred to me, ‘How about if we could have so much excitement always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

After that, the band – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” joined by a medic from history (low-end instrumentalist), haughty vampire (guitarist) and secretive shaman (drummer) – never turned back. The new record, the band’s second album, evokes images of classic metal icons uniting to battle their way through a heroic art landscape – a heroic opus that sets them on the verge of far grander things.

The release was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her collaborators. “It made it a much better project,” she says of the group work. “It was challenging at first – I often experienced a particular degree of satisfaction as a woman in music working independently. There’ve been numerous occasions where I’ve got off stage and some guy will say, ‘The other members write great riffs!’ and I think, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As their fame has increased, so has the scope of their visual elements. “My philosophy is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. At first, she had been on path for a fine art degree before hesitating at the prospect of heavy loans. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to express artistry,” she says. “Be it making masks, attire creation, mastering post-production song visuals … it’s all stuff I am unfamiliar with, but it’s exciting to learn in the moment.”

Even though creating the ensemble’s complex backstory (“Everyone’s urging me to document it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, indicating her head) and making clothing were insufficient, the vocalist taught herself how to make chainmail – no mean feat, though she confessedly left her completely original scalemail look to a expert from NYC. “It feels like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

What about the crowd? They loved the fake blood, toy blades and handmade props with equal enthusiasm as the band. “We had a show in the Motor City and it looked like a historical festival,” remembers Riley fondly. “Everyone was in cloaks, sheepskin, metal wear.”

This isn’t to say, however, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been smooth. “Everything is constantly breaking and gets repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Additionally I get endless ideas as to how I desire the presentation, but we are on the move in a vehicle with limited room. It’s an interesting challenge to give the sense like a mythic tale, then pack it down into a small space.”

There have been other logistical problems that wouldn’t have troubled fictional warriors. “We experienced an ‘oh shit’ moment when we played a music event in Portugal and my luggage – which had my weapon in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “It was a worst-case scenario, because there’s not an alternative version of the concert where I don’t have a weapon.”

Upcoming Plans

As a genuine leader, Riley is enthusiastic about the days to come. “I want to go as far as possible – we should play huge arenas,” she says. “The main aspect that’s truly essential to me is maintaining the DIY aesthetic, making sure each detail is custom-made. That’s an element I want to keep true to, whatever we grow into. Oh, and I wish to ride out on a unicorn each show. Remember how famous musicians use vehicles in concerts? Exactly that, but with a unicorn.”